The Importance of Feeding Your Hamster Quality Foods Hamsters are a wonderful first pet for many children, simply because they do not require a lot of attention. They are rather playful, and fun to watch, but hardly as social as other animals may be. But, it is truly in adult homes and families where hamsters genuinely shine. They simply love being spoiled, and looked after, which is something most adults are terrific at doing for their pets. Still, hamsters are pets, and they require a certain amount of daily care, and occasionally, veterinary assistance. Just because they are small, their needs should not be ignored. And, as with most pets, one of the most crucial things owners need to concern themselves with is nutrition. Although hamsters are typically grouped together with gerbils and rats, their nutritional needs are different. This means that although you may be tempted to grab a bag of food aimed at all sorts of animals, you unquestionably must feed your hamsters food designed for them.
The Basics of Feeding Your Hamster Hamsters spend plenty of time playing, but they also love to sleep and eat (sound like any children you may know?). However, the amount of food that a hamster eats in a day is relatively small, or at least it should be. The food you provide for your hamster should be as concentrated nutritionally as possible. This is why it is vital for you to feed your hamster with a food specifically designed for their needs. The more nutritionally dense your pet’s food is the more time they will spend playing and amusing themselves (and you). Remember, that hamsters are unlikely to overeat so you can plop as much food into their bowls as you think they need. It is always better to add more food, at least until you know your hamster better, than it is to underfeed them. Unfortunately, underfeeding, or feeding poor quality food may lead to your hamster gnawing on the bars of her cage, and that is certainly not healthy. Make sure food bowls are routinely washed with warm water, and free of debris. Whenever you feed your hamster, also dump the old food rather than allowing it to sit at the bottom of your hamster’s bowl. Strangely enough, hamsters are omnivores; they need a bit of meat in their diet. Now, that is not the same meat that you may tuck into at supper, but it is the flesh of animals all the same. Hamsters love mealworms. Indeed, if you can pick up a couple of these, and ensure that they remain in your hamster’s cage until they are eaten, your hamster will love you forever. However, this is usually not a pleasant exercise for most hamster owners, so it likely that you will need to choose a food with mealworms included in the mix. This is another reason to choose a high quality food; often the cheaper bags found on the supermarket shelves do not contain any animal proteins which are essential for your pet’s healthy and wellbeing. In addition to a balanced food (including animal proteins), hamsters need fresh water daily. This is one area where many hamster owners slack. Rather than a bowl of water, it is better to install a water bottle that allows the water to stay away from play areas. And for hamsters, the entire cage is a play area. Bowls tend to be walked in, played in, bathed in, and yes pooed in which is what makes them so unsuitable. However, the trouble with water bottles is that they hold such a large amount of water compared to what a hamster will consume daily. It is important, therefore, to ensure that water is changed daily and that bottles are washed in hot water with only a little bit of soap, at least once a week.
Teeth, Special Treats and Oh Yes, Hamsters Like to Hoard Hamsters, like all pets (and you too) love a bit of a special treat. Fortunately, hamsters do not crave the sweets that humans do although they do not mind carrots (which are heavy with sugar). If you want to treat your hamster to something special, you have a few options. Obviously, there are a few exceptional hamster treats on the market, and these are perfect nutritional supplements for your pet. However, if you have none to hand, or you want change things up a bit, consider adding a few vegetables to your hamster’s meal. They also like fruit, but these are often higher in sugar content (like carrots), and should be given more sparingly than vegetables. Remember to avoid offering too many veggies though, as too many can be difficult to digest. Unlike humans, hamsters have sharp little teeth which they often work into a point unless they are provided with the right kinds of foods. This is one of the main reasons that hamsters require specialty food. In addition to their standard diet, there are often gnaw blocks which help to wear down hamster teeth. Hamsters will naturally turn to these if their teeth are growing, or sharpening too quickly. It is always a brilliant idea to make sure that hamsters have something in their cage that they should chew; otherwise they will eat the bars on their cage – and anything they can inside of it too. And yes, hamsters like to hoard food. They are just that sort of animal. Although domestic hamsters are unlikely to ever face a cold, hard winter (or the foraging period beforehand), they cannot help instinct. This is especially true if you are fastidious about emptying old food from their bowls. And, even if you feed your hamster on a strict schedule, he is going to hide food somewhere in his cage. Your job is to clean it out, and clean it out regularly. Although you may be able to go a few days to a week at a time, depending on the number of hamsters that share a home, you cannot expect your hamster to go longer between cleanings. And, if she has managed to talk you into fresh greens at every meal, then you will need to do it more often. Although your hamster may not enjoy having his home cleaned – you are certain to enjoy watching him destroy it once again. For more information on feeding your hamster a quality diet please visit the Burgess Pet Care website - http://www.burgesspetcare.co.uk/